


There's a Little Magic in the Air

by asmaanixx



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Blood Magic, Everyone has magic, Feline!Keith, Low Self-Esteem, M/M, Self-Hatred, Vague descriptions of magical self-harm, magical sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-10-30 13:20:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10877616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asmaanixx/pseuds/asmaanixx
Summary: Keith is a cat.Keith is a cat and he is purring.Keith is a purring cat and he is rubbing himself against Lance's leg."Fuck." Lance whispered harshly.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Rather than breaking the story up into different parts, I'm going to convert this into a full length fic. Ergo, the chapters that I have already posted will be going through some changes to make the overall series a little more fleshed out.  
> 2\. Sorry for all the mess and confusion that this has caused.  
> 3\. Kudos/Comments/Criticisms are always greatly appreciated. :)

Keith is a cat.

Keith is a cat and he is purring.

Keith is a purring cat and he is currently rubbing himself against Lance's leg.

"Fuck." Lance whispered harshly.

He abruptly stood up, and started pacing the floor wringing his hands. A magic quill and paper that he had enchanted earlier to make notes for him, was floating by his head, following him like a shadow. In a huff of annoyance, he waved his hand and  _poof_ ed the quill and paper away.

He didn't _mean_ to turn Keith into a cat. It just _happened_. Not like anyone was going to believe that of course. At this point pretty much all of the magical creatures living at Castle of Lions knew about Keith and Lance's rivalry. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch for them to think Lance did this on purpose. One can't be expected to have a rivalry with a cat now, can they?

Lance turned around, and accusingly pointed at the tabby. "This is all your fault!" Keith, in return waved his tail and meowed.

_Keith meowed._

"Okay, this is getting weird. We need to get you back to normal before anyone finds out." Lance planned, whipping the spell book he had been browsing through before.

Sitting in his violet throne, Lance pored over the tome, while Keith crawled up his body and wrapped himself around Lance's shoulders.

This should be the weirdest thing that has ever happened to Lance, but oddly enough, it wasn't. It was nowhere near the first year shenanigans, he and Keith found themselves involved in along with rest of the coven. Granted, they hadn't known much about their magic and the chances of goofing up were astronomically high, but even Lance found their adventures to be ridiculous. Hiding from ghouls, returning lost sea creatures, trying not to _die_ from the hands of evil sorcerers... yeah, their first year was bizarre.

As Lance flipped the page, Keith meowed, pawing at the inky writing.

"What is it buddy?" Keith asked, reading over the page Keith kept pawing at. "Ugh, did I just say the spell wrong? Is that it?" Keith meowed again. "Well, the fuck am I supposed to do? This is a _dead_ language after all. Of course there are bound to be some mistakes in pronunciation. There should be minor penalties like you are put under a spell where you have to continuously say the word until you get it right. Not you get turned into a fucking cat!" Lance ranted to the tabby wagging his tail.

Keith jumped to the floor and curled his body around Lance's leg again. The soft, downy fur was surprisingly soothing to the tall boy.

"No Keith! Stop that." Lance reprimanded, picking Keith up and placing him on the bed. "You can't do that! You may be in a cat's body but you're not a cat. You're a human boy with human boy feelings. Not a cat's."

Keith sat down on his fours, placing his head on his front paws and meowed once more.

Lance will not admit that he loved the feel of the fur rubbing against his leg and he sure as hell will _**never**_ admit that he was somehow being aroused by the fact that it was _Keith_ of all people rubbing up against him.

He will never mention the wet dreams that he has had where he had to imagine Keith's hand on his body, Keith's lips on his lips, or Keith's magic coursing through the veins of his own. It was an electrifying high whenever Lance managed to get himself into that mindset. It didn't make things easier on him considering he has gotten little tastes of Keith's sheer raw energy whenever they have had to use their magic side by side.

He will admit however, that his sexual frustration has been great fuel for his rivalry with Keith. Even though it may be one-sided, he loved the push and pull relationship he had with the boy. Challenging him and being challenged only made them both better at honing their skills for when real life demanded it. (And considering these two, it demanded a _lot_.)

Lance swished the tome over to himself before Keith could start picking up on Lance's feelings with his cat powers or whatever. There was no way he wanted Keith to find out he has a huge boner for him.

"Okay, so if this is the spell that turned you _into_ a cat, then I will just have to substitute a few words for a reverse spell, right?" Lance asked the orange tabby, who perked his ears at him. "I'm asking you Keith. I don't want it to backfire and have both of us haunt these halls as a couple of felines. I don't know about you, but I'm not particularly fond of hacking up hair balls."

If Lance hadn't known Keith had turned into a cat, he would have been at least suspicious of it thanks to the way Keith was staring at him right now. That signature 'are-you-fucking-kidding-me' look was specially made for Lance and he would be able to spot it even if Keith had turned into an ikezuki.

"Fine. Here goes something." Lance warned, feeling his magic course from the tips of his toes all the way to his fingers.

He recited his new spell a few times in his mind to memorize it. As the words chanted through his mind, he imagined his magic coiling itself around Keith's feline body, transforming it into the flesh and blood of his former human. Lance imagined every single curve and swell of Keith's body, the softness of his stupid mullet, the striking violet-grey of his eyes, and the full lush of his lips and nipples.

Lance's eyes grew wider and a surge of magic rushed out of him, knocking him back and hitting Keith with full force.

When he came to, Lance rushed towards his bed. Keith was nowhere to be seen but there was a giant hole where his headboard used to be.

"No, no, no, no." Lance chanted, fearing for the worst. "Don't tell me I killed him! _Keith!_ "

A loud meow sounding from the top of Lance's wardrobe washed the relief out of his body.

"Oh thank Merlin, you're okay!" Lance exclaimed, holding his arms wide for Keith to jump into.

Keith, however, had no intention of going anywhere near the boy.

"Come on, don't be like that. It was a minor hiccup, I will definitely get it right this time!" Lance grinned, trying his best to sound confident but Keith was having none of it. He just hissed and blared his sharp teeth at the now frowning tanned sorcerer. "Fine then. Have it your way. I'm going to sleep." Lance announced, stripping down to his boxers.

His clothes neatly folded away and his headboard now fixed, Lance got under his covers, making a huge show of just how much more comfortable he was laying in a warm, cozy bed than Keith would ever be up on the wardrobe.

Hours later, when Lance shifted in his sleep, he felt a soft purr vibrate against his chest. When he reached out for the source, his hands made contact with the same soft fur that he had relished in. While his mind fell back to sleep, Lance scratched the back of Keith's neck, loving the little purring sounds that he made.

The next morning, when Lance woke up he no longer had the orange tabby in his arms. For a moment he wondered if he had made up the whole thing. After all, it wouldn't be the first time that he had a really bizarre dream involving magical creatures. He had been rubbing his eyes, when he heard a meow. Lance stilled. He looked around and saw no one. The meow came again. He looked around once more and there, at the top corner of his wardrobe, was the orange tabby from the previous night. It was simply sitting there, watching Lance with his slit eyes as he wagged his tail .

"Keith? Is that you?" The cat meowed. Lance sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Did you seriously sleep up there the whole night? Get down here right now!" He commanded, irritation seeping in his voice. In the brief moment of silence that he had been granted, Lance had been secretly hoping that Keith wouldn't be here simply so that he wouldn't have to deal with the fact he had to go and tell Shiro about the transformation. Or worse, Allura. Lance shuddered from just imagining how furious she would be. If Lance was in her place, he would have been impressed. Therianthropy was, after all, a high level magic that even some of the most experienced witches and wizards had difficult pulling off.

Keith meowed loudly, attracting Lance's attention, and made his jump. Neither Keith nor Lance could have ever predicted the mid-transformation the boy would go through. If they had, Lance would have moved away in time or Keith would have chosen a different spot other than Lance's body to make his landing.

Either way, Keith, now 100% human, was laying on top of Lance. Fully naked. Naked, former cat Keith, could probably feel the very human erection Lance had right now.

This, was really not good.

"You're human." Lance breathed out.

"Yeah, no thanks to you." Keith retorted, his trademark scowl back on his face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lance cried out, feeling offended.

"It means, that if you had read the fine print you would have known that the spell lasts only for a few hours. But because you're an A grade douche bag, you hit me with even more magic and I had to stay as a cat longer than I needed to!" Keith scolded, his every word fanning over Lance's face.

Lance should have a comeback ready for this. Heck, in any other situation he _would_ have had a comeback to slap Keith in the face with. But right now, all that Lance wanted to do right was grab Keith's face and kiss him like there's no tomorrow.

Keith must have sensed the awkward tension in the magic that was emanating from Lance for he glanced down at himself and at the tanned body he was laying upon. Heat and a deep red blush quickly swam over his cheeks and from this proximity, Lance felt the high buzz of Keith's magic running around him. He had to try really hard to quench his desire to reach out for it. To touch it, taste it, and consume it.

With trembling lips, Keith mumbled, "I-I should go."

A swirl of his fingers and Keith was fully clothed and Lance still achingly hard.

"We have to report this to Shiro." The boy mentioned as an after thought, almost as if he was looking for an excuse to drive away the awkward, and yet terrifying territory their friendship was steering itself into.

Without a backwards glance, Keith tapped on the bricked wall in the sequential pattern that would take him directly to his room. The first time the two boys had enchanted the wall for their personal use, they had considered themselves to be Merlin's apprentices. Right now? Lance hated that passageway.

The bricked wall slid itself back into shape.

Lance pulled on his hairs, unleashing a loud groan. Keith's magic remained in the room and with Lance's vivid imagination, his own raw energy touched the ghostly whispers of Keith's.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Realizations are made and steps are taken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. This chapter has been edited.

"So you have no idea how you morphed into a cat?" Shiro asked as he pulled down on the underlying skin of Keith's eye with a gloved hand. The pupil looked human enough but Shiro could see the small hints of a slivered slit that was commonly attributed to a cat.

"Nope." Keith lied. Lance was already in enough trouble as it was. There was no reason to add onto the strikes that would potentially result to his expulsion. "Must have been something I ate? Or a spell gone wrong?"

"Were you doing a spell?" Shiro asked with one brow raised and inspecting the other eye.

"Yeah. I was looking through this tome. It had a bunch of old magical spells in it and I figured I might try some of them out."

"And out of all the spells to practice, you choose the one that could turn you into a cat." He teased with a smirk of his lips.

"I didn't actually think it was gonna work." Keith mumbled, looking away as Shiro took a step back.

That was the truth. Keith had no idea that Lance would have been able to pull the spell off. In hindsight, he should have guessed he would. After all Lance was no longer the amateur sorcerer that Keith had met three years ago. In that time, Lance's powers have grown _profoundly,_  definitely much faster than anyone would have predicted from a young boy. He had a lot more control over his magic now, and his every word had a direct precision to it. Keith, on the other hand, felt like he still had a lot to learn.

"Well, what did you think was going to happen?" Shiro asked, now walking into the little green storage room that was located at the back of his office.

"I don't know. Something." Keith mumbled again, the tip of his finger flickering with a single small blue flame.

He wasn't using a lot of his magical energy, but it still warmed Keith all the way down to his toes. Keith laughed, thinking back to how there used to be a time when outputting simply that much power had left his body aflame. Now, all it did was trickle down his veins, acting as a reassurance and a reminder of all the untapped energies that were waiting to be used right at his fingertips. Keith wondered how Lance had felt last night. Did he hum in content or did he feel like all the magic had been drained out of him? The sheer rawness of Lance's magic had felt different to Keith. It was more charged and electrifying and Keith wasn't sure if that was just because he was viewing everything as a cat or because he had picked up on something that he shouldn't have. It had been almost intimidating and for a moment Keith wondered if Lance's magic had been pushing him away on some level.

"Do you need help?" Keith yelled, angling a little forward from his seat towards the direction of the green room.

"No! Just stay where you are." Despite Shiro's yelling, his voice came off as being really distant.

Keith slumped down in his seat and swirled a fire ribbon in between his fingers.

Whatever it was that Keith had picked up on, he knew it wasn't because he had been turned into a cat. He had been sensing a similar kind of energy days, maybe weeks or months prior to last night. Of course, he hadn't said anything about it to the coven though. There wasn't that much too say. It wasn't harmful or menacing like magical readings in the past had proven themselves to be. Sure the nervousness underlying it had made Keith keep a close eye on it, but it never once manifested itself as being threatening. It was more... peaceful. Content, even. It was joyous and had a good kind of warmth. It was resemblance of the first Christmas that Keith got to celebrate with his friends at the Castle. A Christmas that had been complete with many presents, and words of appreciations and when Keith had cried, he had gotten nothing but hugs and kisses in return. The overwhelming feeling of being unconditionally accepted is what Keith had picked up on and he tried to grasp it firmly in his hand but every time he tried, it went further away. Eventually, Keith stopped trying all together and just basked in the presence of it lurking in the background. It almost became a quiet ally. A magical entity that Keith could rely on whenever he felt low or sad.

Shiro came out of the green room holding a huge sack of what smelled like manure, but Keith couldn't recognize what creature it was from and he no intention of find out. Keith wrinkled his nose. He did _not_ want to know what Shiro intended to do with that.

"What's that?" Keith asked, nudging towards the mortar and pestle that broke away from Shiro to head towards the boiling cauldron.

This was another reason why Keith loved Shiro's office so much. There was always something cooking away in a pot or two, leaving the entire room to be warm and cozy. Of course on hot summer days, the room became unbearable but that was nothing that a quick spell or two couldn't fix.

A couple of green herbs floated themselves into the mortar to be crunched into a fine paste when Shiro looked over his shoulder.

"That's for you." He answered with a loud huff as he laid the sack down by Keith's feet.

"Me?" Keith asked, confused. "What's wrong with me?"

"Apart from the fact that you turned into a cat not twelve hours ago?" Shiro asked, his voice laced in sarcasm and his brow raised high.

_Somebody's been spending too much time with Allura._ Keith mused, knowing the Headmistress' stance a little too well.

"I detected some feline characteristics within you still. Whatever spell it was, it didn't completely wear off. That potion should help take the rest of it down." Shiro explained, as the dark green, mushy paste from the mortar plopped itself into the boiling brew.

"Oh. Do you think I can turn again?" Keith asked, pulling at the sleeves of his shirt.

"Maybe. But I doubt you could without doing the spell. Chances are it'll just make the transformation go easier than the first time around. Perhaps use less magic. Of course, it would help me out greatly if I can get a closer look at the exact spell that you used. The potion I'm making is for generic uses only. To completely eradicate what happened to you, I'll need to know the exact words you had said." The older man sat behind his desk, poring himself over the numerous illegibly hand written reports he had to abuse his eyes with.

Keith, in the meantime, laid down on the hard wooden table.

"You can go to your room, you know." Shiro suggested, after taking a small peek at Keith. "It's still going to take a few hours before it's fully ready."

Keith sighed dramatically.

"Or not." Shiro muttered to himself, getting back to his marking.

Keith mulled over Shiro's words. Did he want to lose all potentiality of being a cat again? Keith wasn't entirely sure. If he was being completely honest with himself, he didn't particularly mind it. After the initial shock and fear, he had actually been quite happy being in the furry little body. There was an agility and fierceness to his every move but there was also grace and elegance. What did surprise him though was the amount of attention he got from Lance. He had been the sole center of attraction for the boy and Keith didn't have to do a single thing. Naturally, Keith wasn't going to give up the glorious chance to rattle Lance's cages. He took every opportunity to irritate the boy. He wrapped his furry little body around the taller boy, he meowed and scratched at him, lazed around all over his belongings, and even left behind a couple hair balls or two. It was all done for fun and games of course... until it wasn't. Keith found that he actually quite liked snuggling up against the sorcerer. To Keith's surprise, Lance had a really warm body. The crook of his neck, the inside of his knee and the area just underneath his armpit were the warmest and Keith's favorite. Keith as the cat's favorite of course, not Keith as the human's because that would just be weird.

Keith abruptly sat up, his heart beginning to race. What the hell was he thinking? Him, being in close proximity to Lance and actually liking it? Him, interacting with Lance in matters that didn't involve competitions or a rivalry? He must be really feeling sick.

"You okay?" Shiro asked, his eyes scanning the magical tension coiling up inside of Keith's body. "It's not happening again, is it?"

"Huh? Oh, no." Keith dismissed, trying to compose himself. "I'm gonna go to my room and lie down for a bit." He stated vaguely, as Shiro continued to look on.

"Okay." Shiro finally dismissed after a moment of assessment. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Will do." Keith trudged out of the room with his leaden legs, trying really hard to not say something stupid like he might be starting to have a crush on the man who turned him into a cat.

Keith clearly wasn't thinking straight. He can't like Lance. Lance was... well... _Lance_. Lance was funny and smart and rich and happy and pure and well... he was  _Lance_. And Keith? Keith was nothing. He didn't have a family to go back to when school was out. He didn't get worrying letters from sets of parents or grandparents or aunts and uncles who want to know how their child is doing while the magical world is under attack. He didn't have a heritage or community to fall back to for guidance when his magic went awry. Lance can't like him and he can't like Lance. They simply weren't compatible with each other and the fact they both wielded fire and water magical energies was the living cosmic proof of that.

"Hey Keith!" Lance called out, grinning and waving at him from the other end of the stone corridor.

Keith hissed. Seeing Lance is the _last_ thing that he wanted right now.

He turned around and began walking briskly in the other direction. He knew it was completely useless as Lance simply iced the floors and slid himself in front of Keith. Keith had to jump back to prevent himself from bumping into the boy. With Lance's warm fingers resting on Keith's inner elbows, Keith was taken back to the proximity of that morning. His lips trembled as he just now realized how intimate they had really been. They had seen each other naked several times in the past but it was always laced with urgency or because of the wild rush of adventure. This morning had none of that. This morning occurred purely because of an accident. Because two boys were messing around. It was never intended to reveal something about the other, or themselves.

"Keith, you okay?" Lance asked, his voice sounding distant to Keith.

_No, he can't... I'm not... I'm not okay. I'm not okay and that's why you can't like me. I'm not okay and that's why you can't be anywhere near me. I can't like you. You have everything. Family, friends, a promising career, and dozens of people who would literally kiss the ground you walk on. I'm not... I don't... no... I can't... I'm not okay. I'll never **be** okay._

"Keith." Lance's fingers curled tighter around his below, his voice sounding urgent. "Say something man, you're scaring me." His eyes looked frantically at the blue flame that was beginning to envelop Keith's body. "Did Shiro say something to you?" Keith's magic flickered, threatening to explode underneath Lance's fingertips, and consume the fire wielder. " _Keith!_ "

"I don't like you." Keith lied in a single breath. The blue flame burned a bright red and yellow, giving the illusion of the sorcerer embodying the spirit of fire itself. "Stay away from me." Keith had to physically remove himself from Lance's grip so that the boy didn't burn himself.

"Keith?" Lance's voice sounded so broken, his eyes reflecting the devastating hurt he was receiving. His body too, became enveloped with his own magic, swirling around him in currents and waves to still the overwhelming emotions he was feeling.

"I..."

The two stood on opposite ends of the wall, one being consumed by the flames of his insecurity and the other drowning in a love that he would never receive.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to get real heavy for Lance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. This chapter is edited.

Being at the center of attention wasn't a foreign concept for Lance Fuentes-Castilla. Ever since he was a child, he was surrounded by people who were devoted to taking care of his every want and need. Whether they came in the form of familial relations or one of the numerous magical creatures that somehow found themselves gravitating towards the boy, Lance has always had someone to talk to. Someone has always been there to make sure he ate right, drank enough water, met enough people to be considered socially healthy, or was educated on various subjects as random as they may be, to make him knowledgeable of the outside world. Money too, has never been an issue for Lance due to their long magical ancestry drawing in income from various sources.

All things considered, Lance was lucky, very lucky indeed. However, in this very moment, sitting on the opposite side of the dining table from where his coven was seated, Lance didn’t feel so lucky. Despite all the things Lance has been blessed with, the tall, tanned sorcerer wasn’t able to find a single thing to feel good or gracious about. The only emotions that were residing within him were loneliness, rejection, and a deep, deep desire to drown.

It was an absolutely terrifying thought for the seventeen year old boy who merely yesterday was laughing and cracking jokes with his friends and classmates. Today, there was not a single person sitting beside him. Lance figured it had most likely to do with his magical energy that was still swirling visibly around him. It was not all too rare for someone’s magic to be naked to the world as it was an indicator of an extreme rush of emotion, almost like an adrenaline rush.  What was rare however, was for it to be exposed for long periods of time. It created a high level of uncertainty as there was no way of accurately predicting how the exposed wielder might react upon being approached. And considering that their magic was already out, the potential for harm for either parties were always really high.

Lance figured that was why Shiro had spoken to Keith first and had tried to get him to calm down. It hurt though. As a fire wielder, Keith had posed as a greater risk to everyone around him. He may not be a raging fire now as he had been before, but he still had the light flickering of a blue flame outlining the contours of his body. He was still hurting. But so was Lance and the fact that no one had come to check up on him, hurt the most. He knew that he had made a mistake when Keith metamorphosed into a cat, but it’s not like he had done it on purpose. It was an honest accident and if they want him to be punished, then he’s willing to take it. But given all the shit that they have had to go through in the past, turning Keith into a cat was like child’s play.

All Lance wanted right now was for someone to talk to him. He didn’t care if they would say mean, spiteful things because at least they will be _talking_ to him. He just couldn’t bear the silence.

Lance looked down. Water lapped by his ankles, silently beckoning him to come forth. He looked around and found himself to be still sitting in the grand dining room. Various other students were busy chatting amongst themselves and enjoying their rich, delicious meals. Not even other magic users who have an affinity for water had picked up on what Lance had. Apparently, he was the only one who could see and feel the water that was beginning to rise up his legs.

He briefly wondered if he might actually drown sitting right there. Silently fading away amongst the hundreds of bodies that were present within the room.

He gasped for air, feeling his magic rush around him in a roar, and hitting him hard, pouring within his body through every orifice.

In the next moment, Lance found himself to be standing before Lake Altea and yet, he had no recollection of how he got there.

_Did… I just teleport?_

Lance was horrified. He had never teleported completely on his own before. In the past, he always did it with some assistance. Secret passageways, enchanting spells, magical beasts and whatnot. But never, ever on his own. In any other situation, Lance would have been grinning widely, with the thrill of excitement coursing through his veins. But right now, he was absolutely terrified. His magic, while always a little uncontrollable, had acted upon him without his permission. Even as a child when he really didn’t know how to harness all his powers, his magic had never tried to hurt him. But just now, it could have potentially killed him.

Lance brought his hands up. They were trembling.

His own magic, a power that he had come to rely upon to get him out of the direst of situations, an entity that he sought to keep him rooted to who he was, felt so foreign to him.

**_Lance…_ **

He quivered, feeling a cold vice-like grip wrap around his heart.

**_Lance… come to me._ **

Cold water lapped around him once more, this time splashing and gliding up his legs as if they were all but ready to pull him down under.

**_Come to me Lance._ **

He had been meaning to take a dip in the waters if only to clear his head. Maybe he should go. After all it hasn’t harmed him in the past, so why be scared now. Right?

**_Lance…_ **

Lance took one step.

Then another.

And another.

He continued until he could no longer feel the smooth sands underneath his feet.

**_That’s it Lance. Come to me._ **

Lance had only been waist high when he heard fierce shouting behind him and the powerful force of his coven’s magic pulling him back. He’s not entirely sure what happened but he does remember the shrieking scream he let out as the cool, clear liquid around him had suddenly started to boil. A single arm, which Lance would have recognized to be Shiro’s from anywhere, had hooked itself around Lance's body and held him above the dangerous waters so that the lower half of his body didn’t burn itself.

It was only when Lance was placed a good distance away from the lake and was being inspected by Hunk for any damages that he saw Keith, completely aflame, standing where Lance formerly was.

“What the hell is he doing?” Lance asked his companions frantically. “He’ll kill everyone!”

“Lance, calm down.” Hunk soothed, pushing down on him when he tried to get up. “Pidge has Keith under control. All the other creatures living there will be completely unharmed.”

“What?” Lance’s mind was too occupied on all his friends and the innocent beings that could potentially die because of Keith’s foolishness.

“You were being summoned.” Shiro explained, keeping a watchful eye on both Keith and Pidge.

“What… what are you saying?” His mind felt like it was working in overdrive. Nothing was making any sense.

From the extremely low feeling from prior to the possibility of being killed by his own magic to the idea of him being lured and then possibly, murdered by a creature of the water… it was too much for him. Hunk gathered Lance into a tight hug and transferred all the good vibes that he can muster from his touch. He threw in a couple of spells as well just for a good extra measure. Lance instantly felt himself mellowing down and relaxed back into Hunk, his body just on the precipice of passing out.

Whatever malevolent creature had wanted to attack Lance had manifested itself out of the water and stood before Keith, bearing its many fangs and claws as if to intimidate the boy.

Lance smirked.

_Good luck trying to get out of this one._

The creature let out a blood curdling cry and Lance fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith's frustration rises to a new high.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. This chapter is edited.

Keith paced the room, chewing his thumbnail down to a nub. When he gave that up, he resorted to nibbling on his bottom lip, his arms remaining crossed.

“Will you stop pacing?” Hunk asked, getting up after applying the yellow brown paste he had made onto Lance’s forehead.

“Will you wake him up?” Keith snapped back.

He didn’t particularly care he was being rude. Keith just wanted Lance to wake up so that he can properly yell at him for being an idiot for walking straight into danger without any back up.

Hunk rolled his eyes. “He’s _asleep_.”

“Where do you think you’re going?” Keith asked as Hunk made to leave, his wide eyes flickering between Hunk and Lance’s still body.

“To my room.” Hunk deadpanned, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “To _sleep_. Which from the looks of it you should be doing as well.” He turned around but was interrupted once more.

“What if he wakes up? Someone has to stay here.” Keith knew he was being childish, but he _needed_ someone else to stay with Lance to make sure he was okay.

“You’re right and I elect you.” Hunk volunteered with a smile. “Just shout if you need me.”

Not wanting to be stopped by Keith again, Hunk reached into his pockets and threw a capsule onto the ground. In a cloud of pink smoke, he was gone.

And Keith was left alone. With Lance.

Lance, the boy whom Keith refused to admit he may have feelings for.

Lance, the boy whom Keith may have inadvertently sent to his death tonight.

His knees gave up on him, and Keith plopped down onto the edge of Lance’s bed.

_He almost died tonight_.

It wasn’t the first time that they had played with death. In their earlier years, everyone in the coven had gotten the unfortunate opportunity to have close encounters but they always managed to come out stronger in the end. But this time, it felt different. Keith wasn’t sure if the others had felt it too, but he had felt a schism beginning to form within their coven after his and Lance’s outburst. Of course, it wasn't the first time that Keith had fought with Lance. The two seemingly couldn’t get through two days without arguing over something. Little bickering and bantering even the occasional fist fights, they had done them all. However, after those particular fights, the two found themselves releasing a lot of pent up anger and frustration. Whatever it was that had been bothering them had come out in the open and with the help of their coven, they were able to get through their issues. Granted, some of those lingering insecurities remained, but the point was that there was never a feeling of detachment like there is now. This time around, Keith felt like the invisible thread that had been binding him to Lance was slowly slipping away.

Keith wondered if this was a sign of a coven breaking. A couple of years ago, when he had to do an assignment on the psychological benefits and detriments of sharing magic, Keith had read many reports of members feeling an overwhelming sense of helplessness. They could feel the air around them become thick and suffocating as a dark depression descended upon them and created an irreparable crack in their bonds. Keith has seen the after effects of a broken coven firsthand since he was a child. Various members had found themselves resorting to various intoxicants just to soothe the ache that throbbed viciously within them.

He rubbed at his eyes as several pairs of lifeless eyes reappeared before him. Living in the comfort and security of the Castle, Keith hadn’t thought about them in a long time. His heart felt heavy with guilt. Will that happen to them if they do end up breaking up? Being lost in the sands of time, with no one to remember their names or heroic stories? No one to follow by their example and gain the motivation and inspiration to be the best version of themselves that they could possibly be?

Keith didn’t want that for his coven at _all_.

He turned his body around to look at Lance who was still asleep, the paste that Hunk had applied on him, now completely absorbed by his body.

“Lance, wake up.” Keith whispered, slightly shaking the boy by his arm.

He inhaled sharply when his magic made contact with Lance’s. It was different somehow. Keith scrunched his brows, not being able to identify the form it had taken. Keith thought he had seen Lance’s magic in all its variations. He was there when Lance was a wild child, letting himself be ruled by his magic rather than the other way around. He had even helped Lance figure out how to heal various sea creatures, how to make direct attacks in a more controlled manner, and create water spirits just from the tips of his fingers. He had felt alive when Lance had brought the first rains to a drought that had been plaguing a village for decades and annoyed when he created a blizzard, when all Lance wanted to do was create an innocent white Christmas. Keith has been there for so many of Lance’s firsts and Lance for his. So for him to feel so foreign to Lance and his magic right now was jarring.

“Lance.” Keith shook the boy again and got no answer.

Sighing, Keith got under the covers and curled up beside his friend.

Given their previous interaction, this was probably not a good idea but Keith couldn’t find it in himself to leave Lance’s side. He could have created another bed for himself or at the very least slept in one of the chairs, but he didn’t. He just couldn’t. Instead, he looped his arm around Lance’s and rested his head against it.

He wanted the feel of Lance’s former magic to be back. It was only once he had broken up with Lance that he had recognized that peaceful entity that Keith had come to rely upon so intimately was coming from him. Lance was the source of his peaceful nights and calming days. Lance was the one who kept him in check when he became too hot-headed. If Lance wasn’t there, Keith doubted he would have been able to get through his first year.

Keith wondered if he had a similar effect on Lance. Did he give Lance something that someone else couldn’t? Keith could think up of at least ten names at the top of his head that he could see Lance easily replacing him with. His toes curled and he looped his arm even more. He didn’t want to be replaced. Granted, he had told Lance to stay away from him, but the moment Lance had walked away with his teary eyes, Keith knew he had sinned. He dearly hoped he would get the opportunity to ask for forgiveness.

He nuzzled his forehead against Lance’s arm and wished that he could become a cat again. At least that way he didn’t have to feel so guilty for wanting to be near him.

* * *

Keith must have left remnants of his magic out in the open for in his deep sleep, he could feel the intermingling of someone else’s. It was sliding within him, slowly but fiercely like a crouching tiger that was hunting down its prey. He felt the warmth of a magical entity shift his head, outlining his features, trailing its way down his neck. It was an odd sensation. The surface of his body remained cool to the touch but his insides were starting to be lit on fire. But it wasn’t a fire that he nor his magic was familiar with. This was more primal and raw yet pure and natural.

Keith wanted more.

He felt his magic reach out for it, but the more he tried, the more it got hidden away deep within himself. It was like it was being consumed far quicker than it can be produced. So Keith stilled his magic and allowed the new presence to touch him, to feel him, to become one with him.

Keith isn’t sure what provoked him, but he soon found himself to be gasping out a name. The magical entity gained a tanned body, lingering touches became more physical leaving behind red imprints and purple bruises. Keith swallowed as he imagined a pair of lips kiss the crook of his neck, his body sighing in pleasure.

“Lance.” Keith moaned.

The nameless magical aura gained a face and to Keith, it was the most beautiful sight in the world. So full of love, so full of admiration and devotion and just oozing with the want to please.

In a perfect world, where Keith wasn’t too afraid to ask for what he wanted, he would have wrapped his arms around the boy and kissed him in real life. He would have expressed all his feelings, both realized and not, as he was making love. He would have shown Lance just how much he meant to him and given him unlimited access to his mind, body and spirit.

But Keith wasn’t living in a perfect world. He was living in his and in his world, he never got what he wanted. So Keith didn’t wrap his arms around Lance. He didn’t kiss him and he never told him how he felt or what Lance meant to him.

What he did do was give Lance full access to his magical spirit for he was the only whom Keith would ever give permission to do so.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance have magical sex and Lance breaks his own heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. This chapter is edited.

When Lance woke up, it wasn’t to the sun softly breaking through the darkness of the night, and making his eyelids hot with its warmth. The first sounds he heard didn’t belong to the koel’s morning call, an enchanted occurrence that had acted as his alarm clock for the past three years that he had inhabited his room. No, when Lance woke up, it was to the sound of his name being repeated in various hushed tones and broken rhythms. It was to his magic being flooded with engulfing flames of passionate desire.

If asked, Lance would not be able to answer accurately as to how many times he has imagined Keith moaning his name, calling for him, _yearning_ for him. But he could tell you how many times he felt ashamed and guilty for having an orgasm to his image and the lingering remnants of his magic. It was _every single time_.

That is why when he saw Keith sleeping beside him, drenched in sweat and breathing out his name as if it was a sacred prayer, he just had to reach out and touch him. He had to make sure that it really was Keith and not a very vivid hallucination that his mind and magic had conjured up.

He had just cupped Keith’s face, his touch cool to his feverish skin, when Keith leaned in towards it. Little hot gasps fanned across Lance’s palm and he felt his mouth water a bit when Keith’s lips would lightly brush against his.

_I don’t like you._

Lance closed his eyes and rested his head against Keith’s, who was still too preoccupied in his dreams.

“Keith.” Lance whispered in his ear.

He had to wake Keith up before he did something stupid they would both probably regret.

“Wake up.”

In hindsight, Lance should remove himself from Keith as well but the magic that was binding them both together was becoming too powerful. He looked at the trembling boy and felt his own eyes begin to dilate with desire. Keith had automatically grabbed for his hand and held it against his chest. His body squirmed as he soundlessly opened and closed his mouth. A part of Lance felt like he was invading Keith’s privacy but there was another part that wanted to partake in every single moment. He wanted to be there when Keith climaxed to a euphoric high. He wanted to be the one who took care of him immediately afterwards and gently brought him down to Earth. Lance wanted to do it all again and again and again.

He couldn’t bring himself to physically touch Keith without his permission, but since their magic were already mixing with one another, he poured all his wants and desires into it. The way he would softly outline the contours of Keith’s body, leaving behind a trail of his magic so that the boy never once felt vacant. He imagined himself kissing all the places that he wanted to kiss. His lush lips, his reddened ears, the crook of his neck, the muscle of his arms, the flatness of his chest, his inner thighs and more. He imagined seeing it all in a fresh new light. Experiencing the depths of his love without any limitations or restraints. He squeezed his eyes shut and whispered Keith’s name in a shaky breath as he felt a surge of magic pass between each other.

With their foreheads resting against each other, the two boys continued to shiver, gasp and moan. Their names got lost in the overwhelming amount of undisclosed desires that were spilling out of them. One final surge of emotion, and they both snapped their eyes open, revealing specks of gold in their irises as their magic flickered wildly around them. Being locked in a daze, Lance laid down beside Keith, and stared at the enchanted starry ceiling. To say he was currently high would have been a gross understatement for he couldn’t even possibly begin to describe what he was feeling. It was a transcendental experience but not quite. He was aware of his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths but he couldn’t feel it. What he felt was an emptiness inside of him, but it wasn’t a bad void. It was somehow nice and soothing because what filled that void was Keith and his magic. It were thoughts revolving around Keith, memories of moments that the two spent and hopes and dreams of a future that Lance sometimes imagined they could have.

Lance had just poured all of his magic into Keith and Keith had let him. Keith had _let_ him. Lance was in Keith right now just as much Keith was in him and Keith wasn’t even trying to kick him out. He was allowing himself to be filled up, to be soothed and taken care of. He was _accepting_ Lance’s magic as his own.

Lance had to take in a couple of deep breaths so that he didn’t cry. But it was futile as he did, realizing that when Keith finally came down from his euphoria, he would reject Lance once again. The inconsolable boy covered his face with his hands, and sobbed. He knew he should have removed himself from Keith. He should have been the wise one and taken the precautionary measures that would have prevented his heart from being broken.

But he was already neck-high in love and he couldn’t find the anchor he needed to get out.

So he let himself drown in the love of a boy who would never love him back.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crescent moon finally meets his sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. This chapter has been edited.  
> 2\. The last line is inspired by a quote from Yu-Gi-Oh! GX where a character (can't remember who now) comments on Johan's love for Judai.
> 
> It goes like this: "Without awareness, you have a heart that desires to settle with Judai. It's like the moon eating the sun."

If Keith ever died, he wanted it to feel like this.

Pure and sublime, surrounded by nothing but peace, love and happiness.

A small tear slid from the corner of his eye as he wondered if he was even fated to experience something like this again. When he died, would the last thing he feel be pain and suffering and then carry that along with him for all of eternity? Or would he slip back to this momentary subliminal state, where his body goes into stasis and his magic prepares him for a final farewell.

He doesn’t want a death or eternity or even a single second of his continuing life to exist without feeling this way.

Without feeling Lance. For it was he who made it possible for Keith to feel so whole, so complete. It was Lance and the purity of his magic that allowed him to feel as if he was worth something, even if it was just for a moment.

Keith turned around, expecting to see the sleeping boy from last night. Keith hadn’t thought much about how Icarus must have felt when his new wings got burned by the sun and he fell from the sky to his eventual death. But then again, Keith didn’t have to wonder because in the moments that he saw Lance sobbing his heart out, he became the doomed son.

“Lance.” Keith called out with raspy breaths as he sat up in bed. “Lance.” He tried to grab one of his wrists but Lance just pulled away, turning around in bed, crying even harder. “What’s wrong?” Keith asked, shaking him by his shoulder, willing him to turn around and face him again.

“Go away.” Lance’s voice cracked as the words trailed away soundlessly in another sob.

Keith winced as his former words echoed back to him. He knew he had hurt Lance, he just hadn’t realized how much. Wasn’t it just yesterday that Keith had been hurting and his friend had offered a shoulder for him to cry on? And what did Keith do? He pushed him away. He rejected his best friend and told him to stay out of his life without even providing an adequate reason as to why. But now that Lance was doing the same, he expected Lance to cave in and fall into his arms?

No, he knew Lance better than that. His love may be unconditional, but he too, had a great sense of self-respect. He would never just fall into Keith’s arms again like he may have been willing to.

But that didn’t stop Keith from making sure Lance would be okay. After all, that is what he stayed behind to do, wasn’t it?

“Lance.” He pulled at his shoulder once more and yet again Lance answered him with sniffles.

Sighing, Keith sunk back in bed, and wrapped his arms around the huddled boy. After the recent excursion, Keith’s magic wasn’t at its maximum capacity, but he gathered up every ounce that he did have and sent it Lance’s way. He thought about Lance’s family and the vast amount of love that they have for their precious boy. He thought about all the bodies of water and the infinite depths of love that it has just waiting to be poured onto the sorcerer. He thought about their coven and how much they all appreciated having Lance around as a member, friend and family. He thought about the younger students and how much they all admired Lance for his ability to make boring lessons fun. He thought about all the sea creatures that felt honored and blessed to have the protection of such a compassionate and loving boy who will be willing to lay down his life for them if asked.

Keith hugged Lance a little tighter, hiding his own tears against the curve of the boy’s spine.

Lance, a boy who is so loved by so many, didn’t deserve to shed a single tear.

Keith felt Lance’s breathing even out.

Being the wielder of fire, Keith didn’t have much to give Lance in terms of magical support. At least, it wasn’t something that he was entirely sure Lance would be all too willing to receive. What he could give was passion, and a hot, intense desire that would light up both their nerves and cells. A type of magic that would leave them both gasping for more and shuddering with pleasurable sighs.

He felt Lance’s hands wrap around his and squeeze.

Keith gulped.

Since Keith couldn’t send out his own flaming magic, he returned Lance’s. He let the magic that he just received flow between their bodies and nestle softly back into its former host. Keith thought he heard Lance utter another broken sob, but he couldn’t be sure. Regardless, he clasped their twined fingers and squeezed his eyes tighter.

Lance had to be okay. Lance had to be whole and complete. It’s okay if Keith wasn’t. He has spent most of his life living with a void for his heart. It’s okay if he has to spend the rest of his life too.

Lance immediately got up from bed, and with watery, red rimmed eyes, he stared at Keith, horrified. Keith got up too, their knees bumping into each other.

“How dare you?” He whispered, making Keith shrink into himself.

Now fully facing him, Lance cupped Keith’s face and forced each other to make eye contact. It was the first time they were fully seeing each other since their break up and it was a bit jarring for Keith. He didn’t want to talk about his feelings. He just wanted to capture the boy into a hug and cry until he had flooded the room.

“Just who the hell do you think you are, huh? I’m not some puppet Keith that you can use for your entertainment. You can’t tell me to be your friend and then act as if I’m not. You can’t tell me to go away and then willingly spend the night with me in my bed. You can’t use your magic to push me away and then use it to save me. And you sure as hell can’t say that you don’t like me when…” Lance stopped himself, his face crumpling in on itself as he broke out into another sob.

Keith’s heart pounded. He had always hated being put on a spotlight and he hated it even more when his failures where brought to light, reminding him just how pathetic he truly was. Sometimes Keith wondered what the world is gaining by keeping him alive.

“ _Keith!_ ” Lance shouted, picking up on the low and desolate thoughts of the fire wielding sorcerer.

They had been around Shiro long enough to know just how dark and depressing sometimes magic could be. It had been a truly ugly experience for the coven to go through and the fact that Shiro had to suffer through it on his own for years before he had met them, disheartened the members whenever they thought about it. However, it did help them to become more in tune with each other’s feelings as they learnt how to navigate their way around helping one another. Keith should have known that Lance would have never let this slide, especially since they were in such close proximity.

“Look at me.” Lance spoke, slowly cupping one side of Keith’s face.

Once more, Keith leaned into the touch, but this time he let his tears fall into the boy’s palm. Keith knew this was wrong. _He_ was the one who should be helping Lance out, not the other way around.

“Keith?” Lance softly called, dipping his head so that he could directly see the boy.

“I’m sorry.” Keith apologized, his voice distorting as he cried. “I’m so, _so_ sorry Lance.” He fell against the boy’s chest, covering his face with his hands. “I’m so fucked up. _Still_ so fucked up and no matter what you or I do, I’m not getting any better.” Lance wrapped his arms tightly around Keith. “I-I shouldn’t have said that to you yesterday. I was just so…”

“Fucked up?” Lance supplied, with a tease in his voice.

Keith laughed. “Yeah.”

Just like that, all of Keith’s pent up frustrations washed away and all Lance had to do was give him a hug and crack a smile. Keith slid his hands to wrap them around Lance and hugged him tight. As foolish as he may have been, Keith is grateful that he had mistakenly angered the Akkorokamui that had been lurking in the lake during his first year. It truly had been a fateful night for not only did the reality of his magical abilities set in, but he had also met Lance. Actually, saved by Lance was more like it. Keith doesn’t think he would ever be able to repay all the debts Lance had done upon him even if he offered his life.

“Hey Keith.” Lance whispered, gently squeezing Keith’s frame.

“Yeah?”

A moment passed and then another and Lance didn’t elaborate. Keith could feel the vibration of Lance’s throat as he swallowed nervously.

“Lance.” Keith spoke, lightly scratching his chewed down nail against Lance’s shirt.

“Yeah?”

“What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing.”

Pouting, Keith hit him on the chest lightly. “Don’t lie to me.”

Lance chuckled, tilting his head so that his cheek was resting on top of Keith’s head. The act was so fond and warm that Keith just wanted to bask in it for an entire day or two.

“I-I’m scared.” The boy confessed, his voice shaking.

“Of?”

“So many things. Yesterday,” Lance licked his lips. “Yesterday was horrible Keith. I,” He began to take in deep breaths, “I-I couldn’t, I don’t…”

“Hey, hey,” Keith soothed, caressing Lance’s cheek, and sending a wave of his magic to calm his nerves. “It’s okay. Yesterday is gone now. You’re right here. You’re with me.” He gently held his hand in the small space between their chests.

“For how long?” The look on Lance’s face was one of pure exhaustion.

He was tired of fighting and frankly so was Keith.

“For as long as you want.” And that was the holy truth Keith couldn’t run away from no matter how hard he tried. “You can stay.”

“I don’t want to stay.” Lance whispered in a daze, shaking his head, his fingers pushing into the small of Keith’s back. “I want to _be_ with you.”

All of a sudden, Keith felt alive. A surge of raw magical energy crashed into him like a wave and left him gasping for air.

“Oh?”

“Do you?” Lance asked, their bodies slowly falling back onto the bed.

Keith slowly nodded, his eyes watering again, and his voice pleadingly answered, “Yes.”

That was all it took.

One simple answer to one simple question.

With Keith’s hands in Lance’s hair guiding him down, the two kissed. Their magic, once separate, now became one. Both their energies flowed freely and easily between them as if they had always been designed to be that way. Their hands roamed and tongues collided, and all the while the flames and waves of their magic crashed onto them in intervals, sending them to another euphoric high. It was exhilarating. In one moment, they would be set ablaze with an intense fiery passion, grabbing for each other as if they couldn’t get enough, and in the next, they would be drowning in a sweet, deep love that made time itself want to still.

They may have stopped kissing, but the magic between them didn’t stop coursing through their veins. Their bodies exhausted, they both slept as they were meant to.

Like the crescent moon was meeting the sun.


End file.
